Second War Of The Confederacy
The was a massive conflict fought between the Alliance, a union of the UNSC, Republic, and several other factions, and the Confederacy, a banding of ex-Covenant states into a new power-bloc. The war permanently changed the face of the galaxy as the Frontier was scarred beyond recognition, displacing hundreds of millions and rendering whole worlds uninhabitable. Participants Alliance Not a true coalition, but an Alliance of roughly aligned factions, the Alliance were united by common enemies, and common goals. The core members were the UNSC and the Republic. They supported separatist movements and anti-Covenant forces such as the Devas, the Freehold territories, and the Cleansing Blade. The Dominion also came to the Alliance's aid, lending their forces to surmounting the Confederacy. United Nations Space Command The core of the Alliance, the UNSC is humanity's sprawling military. A large, cohesive force, they've ample experience at fighting the Covenant. The UNSC bore much of the burnt, fighting desperately to hold territories against the massed invasions from without, and uprisings within. Sangheili Republic The Republic at first was an extremely eager contributor to the war effort, fighting alongside the UNSC, winning battles, and fending off the Confederacy advances. Corruption inside their High Council weakened their efforts, and hampered their ability to defend their worlds. The Freeholds Not it's own faction, per-say, the Freeholds were a collection of worlds, agencies, independent groups, and neutral worlds, that were resistant to the Confederacy's growing power. This was mostly made up of frontier Jiralhanae worlds, and Kig-Yar worlds that resisted the growing influence of the Union. Numerically inferior, they relied on hit and run tactics and guerilla warfare to maintain a tenuous grip on their systems. Notable members include the Tyraxus Tribe, Volendrunus Clan and Tzxyzyl Hives. The Veiled Dominion A long lost Covenant exploratory fleet, the Dominion returned to the galactic stage for one reason alone, to destroy those who seized the Forerunner's relics. While their aims opposed the Republic, they found them to be the lesser of two evils, and threw their support behind them. The Dominion's arrival in the war was unpredicted, and utterly devastating. The Warbound A product of the crime and bloodshed the Frontier bred, the Warbound were freedom fighters, rebels, liberators, all dedicated to those who preyed on and oppressed the innocent. Mostly ex-slaves, they had created a huge following, and attacked the Confederacy anywhere they could. They were funded by both the Republic and the UNSC. Frontier League A independent group of colonies, corporations, and trading outposts, the Frontier League originally ran free trade with anybody, creating a stable region in the Frontier. However, during the first Confederacy War, they suffered under heavy attacks from both the Demiurge and Kig-Yar, losing 15 of the 31 league worlds. Despite this, they continued to fight on, even beginning to turn the tide. They were armed in secret by the UNSC, with special forces operators coming over to train League soldiers. Confederacy A massive power bloc made up of Ex-Covenant states, the Confederacy was a massive war machine, united in their goals, and utterly remorseless in their expansion. Despite their outward appearance of a strong, unified leadership, the Confederacy often squabbled behind the scenes. The Demiurge Formerly known as the Shadow Covenant, the Demiurge are a Covenant successor state specialising in espionage and subterfuge. Possessing a massive military-industrial complex, and an intelligence network to rival ONI, the Demiurge are probably the largest, most powerful threat in the Confederacy. The Hegemony Former members of the Covenant Fringe, the Hegemony have banded together, making up for their low numbers by forming a sizeable stellar empire. Despite their distance from the galaxy at large, they struck a pact with the Demiurge. Long range fleets began to accost the UNSC, landing invasion forces, and taking frontier worlds. Jiralhanae Kingdoms United under the rule of Emperor Marius, the Jiralhanae Kingdoms represent the first time the Tribes and Clans have all united under a single leader. Now with singular focus, they've become a war machine, eager to take territory from the UNSC, and the Republic, and stand victorious. Kig-Yar Union Through the effort of the Princes that ruled the Kig-Yar, they now stood as a single entity, ruled by the Pirate King, Dekd Nok. The first to carry the title for centuries, he's transformed the Kig-Yar from bickering rivals into a massive raiding force, harrying and raiding their enemies. Covenant of Blood An alliance of opportunity, the Covenant of Blood is the last bastion for true believers. Formed from the scattered remnants of the Storm Covenant, and the Covenant Remnant, Jiralhanae, San 'Shyuum, and Sangheili have set aside their differences to unite against their common foe, in the name of their gods. Desperation has made them deadly. Neu Danzig Conglomeration A collection of corporations that had set up shop in the neutral territories, in order to evade government oversite in their business practices, the Neu Danzig Conglomeration dealt in heavy industry, weapons manufacturing, sentient trafficking, and illegal genetic experimentation. Their ideology made them perfect allies for the Confederacy. They provided arms and materials, and also launched several attacks on the UNSC, in order to expand their market. New Colonial Alliance Unwitting pawns on the Confederacy's plans, the NCA had long been funded by the Syndicate, but had fallen under the sway of the Demiurge. They were armed by them, and equipped to be a thorn in the UNSC's side, in order to destabilize them. Initially they were highly effective, but concentrated efforts by the UNSC, and by ONI, took a heavy toll on them. Background Prelude Preparations Campaign Hostilities Resume peace years have been good for the UNSc, retrained and rearmed in secret, purged demiurge spy networks but also co-opted them, demiurge had no idea kig-yar pirate raids continued on sangheli, fleet was banned from intervening by corrupt government hostilities are accidentally resumed when a Kig-yar raider fleet attacks a border station, thinking it belongs to the league. Battle of Bainbridge Station kig-yar attack on UNSC station - a UNSC loss Day of Wrath Thel Vadam deposes the corrupt government, decrees himself Arbiter of the Republic Operation: SEDITIOUS GOD Admiral Castle comes out of retirement to destroy Confederacy blockade at New Phaeacia and opens communication with the Republic, in concurrence with V Fifteen Days of Retribution Republic fleets counter-attack against the Demiurge held systems. Battle of Calm Waters significant victory over Kig-Yar fleets, by a combined force of League and Warbound ships Trak's Gambit The first Freehold offensive, they manage to plunder an important Confederacy port Full Scale Hostilities Battle of Thraen's World Covenant remnant launches attacks on the Republic, Republic barely holds War of Belligerence Covenant attacks on the UNSC, makes headway Oppression-781 demiurge attempts to stamp out the warbound backfire Daramos Run a concentrated attack on the Freeholds, is stopped at a great cost Confederacy Gains Hegemony Advances Hegemony gains ground using expeditionary fleets Halo Peninsula Campaign UNSC comes under attack from the Demiurge, supported by NDC. UNSC looses significant ground, but inflicts heavy casualties Battle of Liandri hive attack on league Purgation concentrated effort by the Kingdoms, Union and Demiurge to lure Warbound out for a fight by ransacking colonies. Does not work, but Warbound morale takes a hit Battle of Holstau Kingdom forces converge on important Republic world, take a victory Alliance Dawn Counter-Attacks Toppled Giants Downfall Aftermath